Lyrics & Lyricists Series to Celebrate Fanny Brice, Rodgers and Hammerstein and More

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30 May 2013

David Zippel

Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

The 92nd Street Y's Lyrics & Lyricists series will celebrate the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, MGM musicals of yesteryear, Broadway flops and songs made famous by Fanny Brice as part of its 2014 season.

Deborah Grace Winer serves as artistic director of the series, which invites guest artistic directors to curate individual concerts. The 2014 guest artistic directors include Tony Award winners Kathleen Marshall, Ted Sperling and David Zippel, as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization's Ted Chapin and theatre historian Robert Kimball.

Here's a look at the 2014 series:

Going Hollywood: MGM Musicals Jan. 11-13, 2014 Kathleen Marshall, artistic director and hostDavid Chase, music director "Want a great night on the town? How about a singing, dancing, Technicolor celebration of the silver screen's greatest musicals? Melodic nuggets from unforgettable movies, like 'The Band Wagon,' 'Meet Me in St. Louis' and 'Gigi,' created exclusively for 92Y by three-time Tony Award–winning director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall. We promise you'll go home singin', even if it isn't in the rain."

Sweepin' the Clouds Away: Boom, Bust and High Spirits Feb. 22-24, 2014 Robert Kimball, artistic director and hostVince Giordano and the Nighthawks "The Gershwins, Porter, Ellington, Eubie Blake—these and other star songwriters created the best toe-tapping, mood-busting, uplifting music ever written—in the heart of the Great Depression, just when people needed it most. Put on your happy feet and come listen once more, as noted theater historian Robert Kimball packs a show full of songs to shake our collective blues away."

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Getting to Know You: Rodgers & Hammerstein April 5-7, 2014 Ted Chapin, artistic director and host "Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were established hitmakers when they teamed up to make a musical about cowboys and farmers. What follows was a miracle—Oklahoma!, then Carousel and South Pacific; the list of extraordinary hits goes on. Ted Chapin, head of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, shares secrets and surprises gleaned from his years with the families of these great men, the first time the team has been the subject an L&L show. Come peek inside this legendary partnership—you're truly in for some enchanted evening!"

Ziegfeld Girl: The Many Faces of Fanny Brice May 3-5, 2014 Ted Sperling, artistic director and host "Funny girl, singular talent and American icon. Fanny Brice hit stardom in the 1920s and, almost a century later, still inspires the public imagination. Ted Sperling, the music director of South Pacific, pays tribute to Fanny with a night of songs she put on the Broadway map—classics like 'Second Hand Rose' and 'My Man'—as well as ones she inspired in Funny Girl. So, why'd you rather be blue? Come join us!"

Panning for Gold: Great Songs from Flop Shows May 31-June 2, 2014 David Zippel, artistic director and host "Sometimes a masterful song finds itself in the midst of an unsuccessful show. The show fades, but the song remains. For example, the not-so-hot Very Warm for May gave us the very cool 'All the Things You Are'; the timeless 'Here's That Rainy Day' came out of the less-than-sunny Carnival in Flanders. Tony Award–winning lyricist David Zippel (City of Angels, Disney's 'Hercules') picks and polishes these hidden gems in a show that’s perfect for the Broadway buff."

Individual tickets and subscriptions are on sale now. Phone (212) 415-5500 or visit 92Y.org/Lyrics for tickets and more information.